Distillation of coal and other carbonaceous materials.



me. STONE. DISTILLATION OF COAL AND OTHER CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS.

. APPLICATWF! FI LEB APR. 29. I915 L22L omen era anion.

HORACE G. STONE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DESTILLATIGN OF GOAL AND OTHER CARFBGNACEOUS MATERIALS.

Application filed April 29, 1915.

The object of my invention is to extract most of the volatile matter from coal and other carbonaceous materials without extracting the carbon, thus leaving a residuum rich enough in carbon and hydro-carbon to burn Without heavy draft, which makes avery desirable and improved fuel.

Other objects advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing il ustrating a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

The figure is the distillation chamber.

A is the opening Where the coal or other carbonaceous materials are fed into the chamber B is the opening where the residuum is taken from the chamber;

C are the openings where the unconden sable gas and volatile matter or by-products are taken from the chamber;

C is the place where the cxhausters are attached; and

is the place where the hot gas enters the chamber.

result is or" any account without the necessary apparatus to carry it out, since the mostcorrcct n'ocess would avail nothing if the coal be put into a bonfire in an open field; hence, the all-important thing is the apparatus, the use of which will produce the desired result.

In attempts at coal distillation, various efforts have been made to exclude the air Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 9, 191?.

3eria1llo,24,623.

and thus save the carbon. Someputthe coal'into an oven retort or i e and a 1*- heat to the outside. p p Pp 3 In my invention I use no such oven, retort or pipe. I put my coal into the distillation chamber and apply hot gas at the bottom thereof, such gas passing directly into and through the mass of coal, and my hot gas is gradually cooled as it passes through the coal which is above it, so that when it reaches the exits from the distillation ehamberit has cooled enough to be what is desired.

Others have applied hot gas to coal through complicated and cumbersome devices, sometimes at the top of the coal and sometimes midway of the coal, but for different purposes and with entirely dii'lerent results from those produced by my invention, wherein I apply the hot gas directly at the bottom of'the mass of coal.

In my invention I throw aside all complicated and complex devices and build a simple upright distillation chamber, smaller at the top than at the bottom, and into this chamber I put coal until the chamber is full; then, at the base of the chamber 1 introduce gas at a high temperature. The gas strikes the coal, and the coal begins to heat, and the gas begins to cool, and as the residuum is removed-at the bottom the body of coal moves continuously downward from the top to the base of the distillation cham ber entirely submerged in. a continuous flow of gas.

The gas which enters at the base of the distillation chamber at high temperature distils the coal and cools the gas in transit I as the gas passes upward through the mass of coal to the exit, tllllSpIOVltllllQ, a means of continuous distillation at a temperature ranging-from that at which the gas enters the distillation chamber to the temperature at which the coal enters.

In actual operation, my distillation chamber will be full of coal, and as fast as the residuum is removed from the bottom of the chamber, additional coal will come in at the top of the chamber.

. The hot gas will come in at the base of the chamber at a temperature of, say, 1000 degrees F.,' but as the hot gas passes into and through the mass of thecoal to the top of the chamber (aidedby a positive exhaust where necessary), it steadily cools until at the top of the chamber it has a temperature of, say, some 200 degrees F.

As the fresh coalcomes into the chamber at its top, lfi'SOOil reaches a temperature which liberates some of the lighter volatile matter; then, as the coal. sinks down farther in the chamber it reaches a higher temperature, which liberates more of the volatile matter; and so on, until thecoalhas reached theplace of the maximum temperature at the base of the distillation chamber.

Tfhe volatile matters desired as by-prodnets and the uncondensable gas are taken off at one or .more openings in the sides of the chamber; and part of the heavy hydrocarbons pass out with the residuum, enriching it and producing the improved fuel which is the object of my invention.

the form liereinbe'fore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

Apparatus for distilling coal or other carbonaceous material including a distillation chamber whose containing space increases in size from top to bottom, said chamber having an opening located at the upper portion thereof for the passage into the chamber of material to be distilled;

means at said opening for preventing admission of an excess of air or free oxygen into the chamber while material is being passed thereinto through said opening, said chamher also having an opening at its base through which coke is discharged; means at said latter opening for preventing admission of an excess of air or free oxygen into the chamber while coke is being passed from said chamber through the latter opening; and means for admitting high temperatured gas into the chamber near the base thereof,

said chamber also having an opening in the upper part thereof through which products of distillation are discharged.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HORACE G. STONE.

Witnesses:

F. G. BARRETT, WILL H. CLARK. 

